Terry Fontenot has signed the last of the Falcons’ exclusive rights free agents, Jaeden Graham.
We have re-signed TE Jaeden Graham.
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 12, 2021
The organization announced yesterday they signed Younghoe Koo, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, Tyler Hall, and Christian Blake to their exclusive-rights free-agent deals. All five will contribute in some form on special teams, something that Fontenot is likely prioritizing. These deals are extremely team-friendly and won’t cost more than a few million total as they’ll sign for the veteran minimum.
In Tennessee, Arthur Smith was coaching the tight ends for seven seasons. In 2013, he was the assistant offensive line/tight ends coach. From 2014 to 2015, he dropped offensive line responsibilities to become the assistant tight ends coach. From 2015 to 2018, he worked under the tight ends coach title before becoming the offensive coordinator. So, Smith obviously knows the exact tight end that can execute the play and technique he needs. Arthur Smith’s offense uses multiple tight end sets. 38% of the Titans’ play calls came out of a formation with at least two tight ends — 33% with two, 5% with three. Smith will get the absolute most out of Graham, as he has in the past.
Anthony Firkser is a perfect example of this. He isn’t the biggest, fastest, or strongest at his position, but Smith squeezed everything out of him. Firkser was a legitimate #2 behind Jonnu Smith; among the Titans with at least 15 receptions, his 73.6 catch percentage was the best. He was their fourth-leading receiver in 2020 with 39 receptions for 387 yards. There is some untapped potential with Graham, and I’m excited to see him play a supplemental role behind Hayden Hurst. The former Yale Bulldog will also reunite with assistant coach Chandler Henley, who coached him collegiately.
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